Abstract
Purpose:To describe physical activity habits, sedentary behavior, and cardiorespiratory fitness levels among alcohol abstainers, hazardous and non-hazardous drinkers.Design:Cross-sectional study with data collected between 2017-19.Setting:Sweden.Subjects:Adults aged 18-65 years (n = 47,559; 59.4% male).Measures:During a routine health assessment, participants answered validated single-item questions regarding: habitual physical activity, structured exercise, and the percentage of time spent sedentary during leisure-time (past 30 days), and completed a 6-minute cycle ergometer test (V02max) to determine cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Participants were categorized as alcohol abstainers, non-hazardous drinkers or hazardous drinkers (low/high) based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) cut-points for men and women.Analysis:Logistic regression models stratified by sex and age.Results:Compared to non-hazardous drinkers, the heaviest drinkers were less physically active (males: OR = 1.38, CI = 1.13-1.67, p = .001; females: OR = 1.41, CI = 1.01-1.97, p = .040) and more sedentary during leisure time (males: OR = 1.94, CI = 1.62-2.32, p = .000; females: OR = 1.62, CI = 1.21-2.16, p = .001). Apart from young females, the heaviest drinkers also did less structured exercise than non-hazardous drinkers (males: OR = 1.22, CI = 1.15-1.51, p = .000; females: OR = 1.43, CI = 1.15-1.78, p = .001). The strongest associations were seen among adults aged 40-65 years (shown here). High-hazardous drinking was associated with low CRF among older males only (OR = 1.19, CI = 1.00-1.41).Conclusion:Middle-aged adults with AUDIT-C scores of ≥6 (women) and ≥7 (men) were less physically active and more sedentary during leisure time and may be appropriate targets for physical activity interventions.
Highlights
(OR 1⁄4 1.25, confidence intervals (CIs) 1⁄4 1.12-1.40, p 1⁄4 .000), but were less sedentary. This is the first general population study to examine the full spectrum of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in adults based on alcohol consumption status
Hazardous drinkers are a diverse group in terms of their exercise habits, we found that those presenting with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) scores 6 points and 7points engaged in less physical activity than hazardous drinkers scoring below these cut-points
Our findings highlight the complex relationship between physical activity and alcohol use, which appears to be moderated by sex and age
Summary
We referred to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines while conducting this study. Data originate from the Swedish Health Profile Assessment (HPA) database (www.hpihealth.se/). HPA includes a 1-page questionnaire about lifestyle and health experiences, measurement of anthropometrics, and estimation of VO2max from a submaximal fitness test on a cycle ergometer. The HPA is offered nationally to all employees working for organizations connected to occupational or health related services (OHS), covering an estimated 72% of all employees.[23] Participation is voluntary and free-of-charge. HPA has been running since 1976, we will base our analyses on data collected from January 2017 (when questions on relevant variables were first introduced) to June 2019. The total initial sample comprised 48,287 participants, of which 47,559 (98.5%) had data on alcohol consumption (analytic sample). The original study complies with the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Research Ethics Vetting Board in Stockholm approved the original study (Dnr 2015/1864-31/2 and 2016/9-32). Informed consent was obtained from participants after the procedure was fully explained
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
